GPTM1403 wrote:I have always felt like it was known Jones was the cash out fight for Calzaghe, it was big money and a chance that he didn't have too much risk against it. Can't blame him, equivalent of a footballer signing for MLS for some pension money.
To an extent I agree. He was complaining bitterly about not being paid his fare share at the time, had taken Warren to court and was coming to the end of his career himself.
That said, a major criticism of Joe was that he spent his career fighting second rate fighters and for a guy with so many fights there are precious few occasions when you thought he was in with anyone even approaching elite. Jones certainly wasn't when he fought him, yet at the time Pavlik clearly was at that level. Joe was also a very highly regarded fighter at the time; knocking on the door of being 3rd p4p in the world behind Mayweather and Pacquaio.
Plus, it really isn't ever wise to describe a fighter as old, shot to bits, finished, past it etc, and then fight them. The fact Calzaghe's biography did just that says a lot. I'm sure most people don't think Klitschko is completely shot, but plenty are saying he's probably a little past it and definitely on the slide. Yet at least Joshua and Fury had the gumption not to say as much beforehand. For me this meant the Jones fight was essentially a write off.
Looking back, the Lacy performance really was suberb. It feels a bit of a shame he only ever got back into a ring five more times, and that three of those were Jones, Bika and Manfredo.